Current Events and Links

April 1, 2005 - Mt. Toba, the worlds largest super-volcano is on the falult line where a third great earthquake is dreaded in Sumatra. If it did blow, it would dwarf all other erruptions the past tens of thousands of years.

Oct. 4, 2004 - Mt. St. Helen is at "Level 3," the highest warning that an explosion is imminent, but so far only steam explosions have taken place. Tom Pierson, a spokesman for the U.S. Geological Survey, says that scientists will meet today to see if the level should be lowered. However, he says that that pressure is still building and earthquakes are increasing.

USGS crews just yesterday observered dramatic uplift in the crater floor underneath the glacier and on part of the lava dome. Cracks are opening up, so we know that something is pushing up close to the surface right now.

Sept. 11, 2003 - A huge bulge underneath Yellowstone Lake and recent earthquakes and unusual releases of steam are a reminder that a massive supervolcano lurks beneath Yellowstone National Park, and it seems that it is coming back to life. An explosion of a supervolcano anywhere in the world would cause the entire earth to suffer the chilling effects of "nuclear winter" which could destroy most life on the planet.

Dec. 19, 2000 - Eruptions are increasing at Mexico's Popocatepetl (pronounced poh-poh-kah-TEH-peh-til) volcano, which is about 40 miles southeast of Mexico City. It has been 800 years since its last catastrophic eruption. Most of the 40,000 residents in the 6-mile danger zone around the volcano have refused to leave so far, but many are rethinking their decision.

May 24, 2000 - Observers were able to document a new phase of island building eruptive activity. On this date,
eruptions ejected ash and incandescent blocks of lava up to 70 m above sea level, and sulfurous steam plumes mushroomed to 500 m.

May 23, 2000 - Smoke rose three miles into the
sky, and ash rained on nine nearby communities. Officials warned residents of eastern Mexico
City to avoid outdoor activities. A yellow alert was issued, and it was recommended staying at
least four and a half miles away from the volcano.

May 20, 2000 - Tungurahua is an active stratovolcano also known as the "The Black Giant." It has a 600 ft. (183
m) wide crater. Most of the volcano is covered by snow. Its causes many tremors in the nearby
city of Banos. Tungurahua's lava is mostly composed of basalts.

April 27, 2000 - The volcano produced a fountain of incandescent lava and a plume of ash. The ash drifted into a plane's flight path and forced the cancellation of the flight. No injuries were reported.

Mar. 31, 2000 - Mount Usu, the snow-covered volcano on The Japanese island of Hokkaido errupted as predicted, forcing the evacuation of 18,000 people. There were no immediate reports of injury or damage, but there is fear of mudslides during subsequent erruptions.

Mar. 7, 2000 - A fresh eruption of minor ash from this active volcano signals the possibility of a larger scale eruption.

all visitors to the
island should exercise caution. The alert level remains at Alert Level 1. Moderate convection was
present in the crater lake, although there was no discoloration of the lake. Light grey slicks were
present on the lake surface.

Feb. 28, 2000 - The Philippines Mayon volcano -- The Philippines' Mayon volcano is is a spectacular sight as rock and fire are being fired several miles into the air, and scientists warn that a bigger eruption could be on the way.

Almost 50,000 people are sheltering in makeshift camps after fleeing their homes.

Feb. 27, 2000 - Details and pictures of Iceland's most active volcano, Mount Hekla, which has just erupted for the first time in almost 10 years. It sent columns of ash several kilometres into the sky.